Is A Bag-Fee Policy A Step Towards Eco Friendly Shopping?

On June 1st, 2009, the bag-fee policy takes effect in Toronto and although some may say it’s a step in the right eco friendly shopping direction, I’m not so sure.   The facts about the bag-fee policy are:

• Retailers must charge a minimum of 5 cents for each plastic shopping bag requested by a shopper
• If plastic shopping bags are not available, retailers must provide a free recyclable alternative (such as a paper bag or cardboard box)
• The bag charge detailing the number of bags purchased and the total amount charged must be recorded on the receipt
• Retailers must accept the use of ANY reusable container brought in my a customer (whether it be a bag, bin, box, carrier)
• Retailers are entitled to keep the money from the plastic bag charges
• The policy also bans non-compliant bags (bags that cannot be recycled – no plastic bags with string handles or metal fittings)
• The policy also bans biodegradable plastic bags as they are not accepted by the recyclers the city deals with

Most supermarkets have already jumped the gun on the Eco friendly Shopping bag-fee and imposed their own ahead of schedule.  I’m sure it’s proven quite lucrative for them.  For non-grocery retailers, the jump may be harder to make.  How do you charge $0.05 to someone spending $100.00 on a jacket?  The instinct from the retailer may be to absorb that cost but that defeats the purpose of changing consumer habits which the policy is supposed to incite.

Enforcing Eco Friendly Shopping
The city plans to place initial emphasis on education, especially with the smaller independent retailers so they are brought up to speed.  However bylaw inspectors will be making the rounds to check for eco friendly shopping compliance.  Fines range from $100.00 for failing to post the bag fee to make the customer aware to $295.00 for failure to collect the bag fee or issuing a non-compliant bag.

Personally, I’m not sure $0.05 is enough to deter the average shopper from asking for that plastic bag.  Yes a lot of people have made the jump but at the end of the day, they know that if they don’t have their reusable bag with them, a plastic alternative is a mere $0.05 away.  Plus what’s up with deeming biodegradable plastic bags non-compliant?  I thought they were the eco friendly shopping bag of choice.  The recyclers don’t deal with them so they are banned?  When did the recyclers start making the rules?  What about our green bin?  How does that get lined?

I think if Toronto, or any other major city for that matter, wants to truly take one giant eco friendly shopping leap forward, they should ban retail plastic bags all together.  If consumers are forced to bundle everything they just bought up in their arms, they’ll be sure to remember their reusable next time.  Oh and tell the recyclers, they’re not the boss of us.